Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia

Figure 28–134. Wear of shoulder sleeve insignia, current organization
(2) Subdued. All personnel wear the subdued SSI on the temperate, hot-weather, enhanced hot-weather, aviation,
and desert BDU; flight suit and flight jacket; combat vehicle crewman uniform; and the BDU field jacket. Personnel
will not wear subdued SSI on hospital duty and food service uniforms. Positioning of the insignia is identical to the
non-subdued insignia, covered above.
28–17. Shoulder sleeve insignia-former wartime service (SSI–FWTS)
a. General. Authorization to wear a shoulder sleeve insignia indicating former wartime service applies only to
soldiers who are assigned to U.S. Army units that meet all the following criteria. Soldiers who were prior members of
other Services that participated in operations that would otherwise meet the criteria below are not authorized to wear
the SSI–FWTS. Wear is reserved for individuals who were members of U.S. Army units during the operations.
(1) The Secretary of the Army or higher must declare as a hostile environment the theater or area of operation to
which the unit is assigned, or Congress must pass a Declaration of War.
(2) The units must have actively participated in, or supported ground combat operations against hostile forces in
which they were exposed to the threat of enemy action or fire, either directly or indirectly.
(3) The military operation normally must have lasted for a period of thirty (30) days or longer. An exception may be
made when U.S. Army forces are engaged with a hostile force for a shorter period of time, when they meet all other
criteria, and a recommendation from the general or flag officer in command is forwarded to the Chief of Staff, Army.
(4) The Chief of Staff, Army, must approve the authorization for wear of the shoulder sleeve insignia for former
wartime service.
b. Authorization. Authorization applies only to members of the Army who were assigned overseas with U.S. Army
organizations during the following periods.
(1) World War II: between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1946, both dates inclusive.
(2) Korea: between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1954, both dates inclusive. Also from 1 April 1968 to 31 August
1973, for those personnel who were awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman badge, Combat Medical badge, or
who qualified for at least one month’s hostile fire pay for service in a hostile fire area in Korea.
(3) The Vietnam theater, including Thailand, Laos and Cambodia: from 1 July 1958 to 28 March 1973, both dates
inclusive.
(4) The Dominican Republic: 29 April 1965 to 21 September 1966, both dates inclusive. Individuals are authorized
to wear one of three organizational SSI: XVIII Airborne Corps, 82d Airborne Division, or 5 th Logistical Command.
Individuals previously attached, assigned, or under the operational control of these units will wear their respective
insignia. A fourth organizational SSI (OEA-Spanish equivalent of Organization of American States) is authorized for
individuals who were not in one of the three units listed above.
(5) Grenada, to include the Green and Carriacou Islands: between 24 October 1983 and 21 November 1983, both
dates inclusive. Personnel are authorized to wear one of the following organizational SSI: XVIII Airborne Corps; 82d
Airborne Division; 1 st Special Operations Command (ABN); 1 st Corps Support Command; 20 th Engineer Brigade; 35 th
Signal Brigade; 16 th Military Police Brigade; 44th Medical Brigade; 1 st Battalion (Ranger), 75 th Ranger Regiment; 2d
Battalion (Ranger), 75 th Ranger Regiment; and 101 st Airborne Division (AASLT). Individuals attached to, or under the
operational control of these units will wear their respective organizational SSI. Individuals attached to, or under the
operational control of any unit whose parent organization is not authorized SSI, will wear the SSI of the unit to which
attached or the unit that had operational control.
(6) Lebanon: from 6 August 1983 to 24 April 1984, for soldiers assigned to the Field Artillery School Target
Acquisition Battery or the 214th Field Artillery Brigade, who were attached to the U.S. Marine Corps forces in and
around Beirut, Lebanon, for the purpose of counterfire support.
AR 670–1 3 February 2005
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